This invention relates to an apparatus for applying electrical connectors to electrical conductors, and more particularly, to a guide for use in guiding flat multiconductor cable of the type used in the electrical industry, particularly the computer industry, to a station at which an electrical connector is applied.
Flat multiconductor cable is used extensively in the computer industry to interconnect various electronic components and systems. The actual connection is made by connectors which are staked to or terminated on the cable. Each connector includes a pair of sections of halves which include a body and a cap for contacting the conductors, for sandwiching the cable between the connector halves, and for securing the connector to the cable. The body portion includes a plurality of tine-like contacts which cut the insulation surrounding the conductors and electrically contact the conductors. The connector cap engages the connector body, positions the cable between the cap and body and secures the connector to the cable.
Machines for terminating or staking a connector to a cable are known in the art and one such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,340. In that machine the cable is fed from a reel to a cable assembly or connector applying station. Each station includes a pair of connector section feed devices or magazines, connector receiving tooling and pneumatic rams for moving the tooling between a retracted connector-receiving position and an extended staking or terminating position.
The cable is guided from the reel to the connector applying position at the station. In one form of cable, the conductors are spaced from one another by 0.050 inch. In other words, the distance between conductor centers is 0.050 inch. Thus it can be appreciated that minor positional variations in the cable can cause the connector tine to engage more than one conductor and cause shorts, opens, or similar defects.
Thus it is desirable to increase the accuracy of cable positioning at the connector applying station.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cable guide system for accurately positioning the multiconductor cable relative at a connector applying station.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.